WO2016089325A1

WO2016089325A1 - Rotational printing - synchronous flock production technique

Info

Publication number: WO2016089325A1
Application number: PCT/TR2015/050176
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rafet Tukek
Original assignee: Flokser Tekstil San. Ve Tic. A.S.
Priority date: 2014-12-01
Filing date: 2015-11-16
Publication date: 2016-06-09
Also published as: TR201414395A3

Abstract

The invention subject to the application is related to a three dimensional pattern technique formed and applied synchronously onto various textile surfaces by combining flocking and rotation print techniques and to enriching visual quality by providing depth in the pattern formed on the fabric by means of this three dimensional new patter technique and to improve cloth handles by flocking. The products that have been developed by means of this new technique create a new perception in the furniture sector and new opportunities are provided by means of the innovative products that can be developed by combining flock and prints on upholstery fabric. It has been aimed to eliminate the lacking characteristics of printing and flocking by means of this new technique which uses the two techniques together.

Description

ROTATI ONAL PRI NTI NG - SYNCH RONOUS FLOCK PRODUCTI ON TECH NI QUE

D ESCRI PTI ON

Technical Field Related to t he I nvent ion

The invention subject to the application is related to a three dimensional pattern technique formed and applied synchronously onto various textile surfaces by combining flocking and rotation print techniques and to enriching visual quality by providing depth in the pattern formed on the fabric by means of this three dimensional new pattern technique and to improve cloth handles by flocking. The products that have been developed by means of this new technique create a new perception in the furniture sector and innovative products can be developed by combining flock and prints on upholstery fabric. I t can be seen that by means of this new technique the lacking characteristics of printing and flocking are eliminated by using these two techniques together.

Know n State of t he Art ( Prior Art)

Rotat ion Print Technique :

Pattern processing with rotation templates are carried out on various fabrics that have been pre-treated according to fibre type with rotational printing technique that has been used for many years. Pattern and colour variations can be made according to the number of templates used and flat printing can be carried out on fabric. Holes are provided at the areas where the rotation pattern templates are to be printed and the areas that are not going to be printed shall be sealed with lacquer. The templates have been designed to complement the pattern synchronously and sequentially in this printing technique and a different coloured dye solution from each template shall be transferred to the textile surface.

Flocking met hod : Flocking is applied to several materials as it provides some technical advantages besides giving a different touching feeling and visual appearance. Flocking has been heard of especially in the textile sector ( upholstery, shoe and clothes sector) and in industrial applications (automotive, decoration etc) . Flocking procedure can be carried out by applying flocking to textile surfaces by electrostatic/mechanic flocking following the application of an adhesive in a smooth and patterned manner on various textile surfaces. The flocks used here are flocks obtained by cutting the polyamide, viscose, polyester etc fibres at desired thicknesses and lengths and then flocked by using an electrostatic/mechanic flocking method following the application of adhesive using the patterned sections as template only or by coating the whole of the textile surface with an adhesive. The characteristics given to textile surfaces by the above mentioned methods are completely different and both methods are technologies that necessitate expertise in their own field. This new method enables to combine these two technologies and different surfaces and pattern characters can be established with a whole new method.

Aims of the I nvention

By means of the invention subject to the application, it has been aimed to form a pattern character which has a printing pattern and flocking pattern that are integrated with each other (so as to complement each other) by using simultaneously and synchronously the same printing and flocking techniques on various textile surfaces.

I t has been aimed to enrich the three dimension and soft touch by flocking which cannot be formed on textile surfaces, and to form a single colour and pattern of the flock print and in turn to enrich its ordinary appearance by means of printing.

Flock provides the desired touch giving the sense of velvet on fabric surfaces and provides a warm appearance. Pattern and colour richness cannot be obtained due to flocking technique. Similarly the printing technique is a rich method which allows multi colours and patterns; however besides the artificial appearance arising from the reason that the surface has a single dimension its touch does not feel good.

I t has been aimed to eliminate the weak points in both techniques by combining the two techniques and to establish perfect textile textures.

Brief description of the I nvention By means of this new technique with we which we aim to be able to perform synchronous printing where the patterns complement each other and where the rotational printing and flocking techniques are combined ; the flock template at the final head of the rotational printing machine is used and a flock binder is fed into the flock template via a pump. The textile surface that is desired to be treated is subjected to a printing process in a rotational printing machine following the pre-finishing procedure. First of all the surface is patterned with templates onto which patterns and colouring will be applied by printing in the printing machine, and in the final printing head the flock template that is to be used for forming a flock pattern is applied such that it shall correspond with the patterns provided in the previous heads. At this stage a dye solution is used for printing, and a flock binder is used for flocking. The template characteristics used for printing and the template characteristics used for flocking is different . The surface onto which a printing template is patterned and onto which a flock template and flock binder is transferred, enters the flocking unit continuously. I t is enabled for the flocks to be attached to the flock binder provided with the flock template using mechanical/electrostatic flocking methods in a flocking unit. As the dye solution provided with printing is not thick enough , flock powder cannot attach to it ; the flock can only attach to the flock binder transferred with a flock template.

The fabric onto which printing and flocking processes have been completed is placed in an oven unit , therefore the dye solution provided during printing is dried and the flock binder is allowed to be fixed so that the flock powder can attach to the binder. The fabric that goes through printing and flocking procedures after exiting out of the oven is brought to the cooling cylinders and the brush unit continuously. After the product that exits out of the oven is cooled, it is transferred to the brushing unit, where the free flocks that have not attached to the binder are cleaned from the surface. Following this the product leaves the brushing unit and is transferred to the wrapping (coiling) unit in order for it to be wrapped as a semi finished product into a ball. Following this stage, the post procedure that is required by the selected printing method is applied. Herein the printing method shall be selected as one of the following ; · I f pigment printing was to be used, chemical finishing is applied in order to establish technical characteristic during the finishing process following the washing of the semi finished product.

• I f a disperse printing method was to be used ; following reductive washing, chemical finishing is carried out in order to establish technical characteristic during the finishing process.

I llust rat ion of the Figures describing t he invent ion Figure 1 : Rotational and flocking synchronized printing unit.

Definit ions of t he aspects/ parts/ sect ions form ing t he invent ion

Each of the sections within the figures have been numbered in order for the rotational printing and flock synchronized production process developed according to the present invention is better understood and the reference of each number has been listed below.

1 - Base feeding

2- Accumulator (j-box)

3- Rotational printing heads

4- Flock printing head

5- Blanket

6- Flocking unit

7- Oven

8- Cooling cylinders

9- Brush unit

1 0- Wrapping unit

Detailed descript ion of t he I nvention

The aim of the description is to combine the rotational printing and flocking methods subj ect to the application such that they are designed complement each other synchronously and to produce a product by this means. The production is carried out in a few stages.

1 ^s' Stage; preparing the textile surfaces

2^nd Stage; Rotational printing and flock synchronization production stage 3^rd Stage; Washing or reductive washing

4^th Stage; Finishing/chemical finishing

1 ^st Stage ; the textile surface is put through a pre finishing procedure according to the type of fibre and mixture the textile surfaces are formed of. For example if a 100% cotton texture is to be used ; the hydrophility of the textile surface is increased and foreign materials are removed by means of procedures such as bleaching etc. The textile texture is processed with thermofixing by determining temperature conditions according to the fibre type in its contents and width/length fixing is carried out. Stretching in the width or length may lead to problems in the production line in especially some weaving bases. Following this, the textile surface is ready for both printing and flocking. All kinds of fabric formed of all kinds of fibre types, and their mixtures, woven fabric, non texture (nw,wj ...) bases, and surfaces such as artificial leather can be used as a textile surface herein . Variables such as the production technique of the bases used in upholstery fabric, their weight , and fibre types determine touch . As woven surfaces are preferred, the effect that was desired in terms of both the general touch of the fabric and the surface touch could not be obtained. Bases that are produced with a weaving technique can be used in order to overcome this problem and therefore both surface touch and general touch can be improved ; however the width/ length stability difficulties and stretching that can be faced in woven bases have always prevented said bases to be used in upholstery. As a result the usages of bases that are produced with the warp knitting technique that stretches less in comparison to other weaving techniques enable both the surface touch and general touch to be improved. Rotational printing applied to textile surfaces that are prepared by thermofixing that are especially produced by means of the warp knitting technique and passed through the raising and shearing procedures is enriched with the flock synchronization technique and the ordinary appearance and disadvantages of warp knitting fabrics can be eliminated. 2^nd Stage;

The prepared warp knitted fabric etc, are fed to the feeding unit ( 1 ) , an amount of base fabric is collected at the accumulator (j-box) (2) . Following this it is adhered to the blanket (5) in the rotational printing unit and it is enabled to be passed through the printing unit in a fixed manner. I nitially rotational printing heads (3) come into play in the rotational printing unit . Wherein dye solution is pumped into the rotational printing heads (3) and is fed via pumps. The number of heads used for printing can vary according to the number of patterns. Each template has been designed such that it shall print each part of a pattern in a different colour and such that it shall complement each other. The printing templates used herein carry standard printing template characteristics. Dye solution can vary according to printing type. Pigment and disperse printing are the most frequently used methods. The flock binder is transferred from the template to the textile surface such that it is patterned at the final head in the printing unit. Thereby the flock binder is applied onto the textile surface synchronously such that it shall complement the previous printing patterns applied by the previous heads. Following this stage, flock attachment to the sections comprising flock binder only are performed by using mechanical/electrostatic flocking method within the flocking unit (6) . As there is no binder at the sections without printing ; flock cannot attach itself to these areas. Following the flocking unit (6) the oven unit (7) shall be used to fix the dye fed for printing onto the textile surface and the flock binder is fixed so that the flock powder can attach themselves onto the textile surface. After the oven (7) unit , the cooling cylinders (8) help the textile material to cool down a bit. Following this stage, the flock powders that have not attached themselves to the surface are removed by the brushes in the brushing unit (9) . The semi finished product produced by these means is then ready pass to the next stage.

3^rd Stage;

Following the rotational printing and flock synchronization procedures, after washing according to printing type and thermal fixation reductive washing procedure is carried out and the dye that has not permeated into the fibre during printing is removed and the flocks that have not attached to the surface is cleaned off. This stage is a known method and it is one of the post processes that need to be carried out following the production technique subj ect to the invention. 4^th Stage;

Chemical finishing needs to be applied to the fabric after reductive washing is completed following washing and thermal fixation. By this means technical characteristics can be given to the product by providing chemical finishing for the fabric and then following washing it is enabled for the product to be dried and fixed.

Claims

CLAI MS

1 . A serial printing method characterized in that the rotational printing and flocking steps are performed in sequence.

2. A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises the following steps;

• Preparation of the textile surface

• Applying rotational printing

• Carrying out flock printing

• Performing reductive washing following washing and thermal fixation

• Finishing/chemical finishing.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the textile surface is treated with a pre-finishing process.

4. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the textile surface could be woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven bases or artificial leather.

5. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the textile surface can be a base produced by means of the warp knitting technique.

6. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at least a rotational printing head (3) .

7. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the dye is fed into the rotational printing heads (3) by means of pumps.

8. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the final head used is the flock printing head (4) .

9. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the flock binder is fed into the flock printing head (4) via a pump.

10. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that pattern is provided onto warp knitted fabric via a template and flocking procedures are applied.